Conscience

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“Let the pulpit resound with the doctrines and sentiments of religious liberty. Let us hear the danger of thralldom [slavery] to our consciences from ignorance, extreme poverty, and dependence, in short, from civil and political slavery. Let us see delineated before us the true map of man. Let us hear the dignity of his nature, and the noble rank he holds among the works of God, — that consenting to slavery is a sacrilegious breach of trust, as offensive in the sight of God as it is derogatory from our own honor or interest or happiness, — and that God Almighty has promulgated from heaven, liberty, peace, and good-will to man!”John Adams, A Dissertation on The Canon and Feudal Law, 1765

“I join with you in resolving to persevere with all the little Strength we have and preserve a good Conscience: It is no Dishonor to be in a minority in the Cause of Liberty and Virtue…”Samuel Adams, Letter to James Warren, March 25, 1771

“… every Man living in or out of a state of civil society, has a right peaceable and quietly to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.”Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists, November 20, 1772

“… the rights of conscience and private judgment... are by nature subject to no control but that of the Deity…Every man is permitted to consider, to adore, and to worship his Creator in the manner most agreeable to his conscience.No opinions are dictated, no rules of faith prescribed, no preference given to one sect to the prejudice of others.”John Jay, Charge to the Grand Jury of Ulster Co., September 9, 1777

“… at an age when their [children’s] judgments are not sufficiently matured for religious inquires, their memories may here be stored with the most useful facts from Grecian, Roman, European and American history.The first elements of morality too may be instilled into their minds; such as, when further developed as their judgments advance in strength, may teach them how to work out their own greatest happiness, by showing them that it does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed them, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.

… [people] are the ultimate, guardians of their own liberty. For this purpose, the reading in the first stage [of education, is]… to be chiefly historical.History, by apprising them of the past, will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and designs of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every disguise it may assume; and knowing it, to defeat its views.In every government on earth is some trace of human weakness, some germ of corruption and degeneracy…

Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone.The people themselves therefore are its only safe depositories.And to render even them safe, their minds must be improved to a certain degree…The influence over government must be shared among all the people.If every individual which composes their mass participates of the ultimate authority, the government will be safe…” Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, February 27, 1781

“… rulers can have no authority over… natural rights, only as we have submitted to them.The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit.We are answerable for them to our God.The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.”Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, February 27, 1781

“Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious liberty- that Religion is at all times and places a Matter between God and Individuals-That no man ought to suffer in Name, person or effects on account of his religious Opinions-That the legitimate Power of civil Government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor…”Danbury Baptists, Letter to Jefferson, October 7, 1801

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people [the U.S. Constitution] which declared that their [U.S.] legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.”Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802

“I behooves every man, who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others…It behooves him too… to give no example of concession, betraying the common right of independent opinion, by answering questions of faith, which the laws have left between god & himself.”Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Benjamin Rush, April 21, 1803

“As to the regulation of the militia, I feel myself doubly interested.Having a numerous offspring, I am careful to prevent the establishment of any regulation that might entail oppression on them…Congress has only the power of arming and disciplining them.The states have the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia…

We are also told that religion is not secured; that religious tests are not required.You will find that the exclusion of tests will strongly tend to establish religious freedom.If tests were required… I might be excluded from any office under the government, because my conscience might not permit me to take the test required.

The diversity of opinions and variety of sects in the United States have justly been reckoned a great security with respect to religious liberty… The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them…

Under these circumstances, should anyone attempt to establish their own system, in prejudice of the rest, they would be universally detested and opposed, and easily frustrated.This is a principle which secures religious liberty most firmly. The government will depend on the assistance of the people in the day of distress.”Zachariah Johnson, Debates and other Proceedings of the Convention of Virginia, June 25, 1788

“To cherish peace and friendly intercourse with all nations having correspondent dispositions; to maintain sincere neutrality towards belligerent nations; to prefer in all cases, amicable discussion and reasonable accommodation of differences, to a decision of them by an appeal to Arms; to exclude foreign intrigues and foreign partialities, so degrading to all Countries, and so baneful to free ones; to foster a spirit of independence too just to invade the rights of others, too proud to surrender our own, too liberal to indulge unworthy prejudices ourselves, and too elevated not to look down upon them in others; to hold the Union of the States as the basis of their peace and happiness; to support the Constitution, which is the cement of the Union, as well in its limitations as in its authorities; to respect the rights and authorities reserved to the States and to the people, as equally incorporated with, and essential to the success of, the general system; to avoid the slightest interference with the rights of conscience, or the functions of religion so wisely exempted from civil jurisdiction; to preserve in their full energy, the other salutary provisions in behalf of private and personal rights, and of the freedom of the press; to observe economy in public expenditures; to liberate the public resources by an honorable discharge of the public debts; to keep within the requisite limits a standing military force, always remembering, that an Armed and trained militia is the firmest bulwark of Republics; that without standing Armies their liberty can never be in danger; nor with large ones, safe; to promote by authorized means, improvements friendly to agriculture, to manufactures and to external as well as internal commerce; to favor, in like manner, the advancement of science and the diffusion of information as the best aliment to true liberty; to carry on the benevolent plans which have been so meritoriously applied to the conversion of our aboriginal neighbors from the degradation and wretchedness of savage life, to a participation of the improvements of which the human mind and manners are susceptible in a civilized state: As far as sentiments and intentions such as these can aid the fulfillment of my duty, they will be a resource which cannot fail me.”James Madison, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1809

“Something more, then, is required to encourage virtue, suppress vice, preserve public peace, and secure national independence. There must be something more to hope than pleasure, wealth, and power. Something more to fear than poverty and pain. Something after death more terrible than death. There must be religion. When that ligament is torn, society is disjointed, and its members perish. The nation is exposed to foreign violence and domestic convulsion. Vicious rulers, chosen by a vicious people, turn back the current of corruption to its source.Placed in a situation where they can exercise authority for their own emolument, they betray their trust.They take bribes. They sell statutes and decrees.They sell honor and office. They sell their conscience. They sell their country.”Gouverneur Morris, An Inaugural Discourse Delivered Before the New York Historical Society, September 4, 1816

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.”Thomas Paine, The [American] Crisis No. 1, December 23, 1776

“If I could have entertained the slightest apprehension that the Constitution framed in the Convention, where I had the honor to preside, might possibly endanger the religious rights of any ecclesiastical Society, certainly I would never have placed my signature to it; and if I could now conceive that the general Government might ever be so administered as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution—For you, doubtless, remember that I have often expressed my sentiment, that every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshiping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience.”George Washington, Letter to the United Baptist Churches of Virginia, May 1789

“… my compliance with the call of my country, and my dependence on the assistance of Heaven to support me in my arduous undertakings, have, so far as I can learn, met the universal approbation of my countrymen.

While I reiterate the possession of my dependence upon Heaven as the source of all public and private blessings; I will observe that the general prevalence of piety, philanthropy, honesty, industry and economy seems, in the ordinary course of human affairs are particularly necessary for advancing and confirming the happiness of our country. While all men within our territories are protected in worshiping the Deity according to the dictates of their consciences; it is rationally to be expected from them in return, that they will be emulous of evincing the sincerity of their profession by the innocence of their lives, and the beneficence of their actions: For no man, who is profligate in his morals, or a bad member of the civil community, can possibly be a true Christian, or a credit to his own religious society.”George Washington, Letter to the General Assy. of the Presbyterian Church, May 30 – June 5, 1789

“That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other.”Virginia Constitutional Convention,Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12, 1776